Happily, however, the original mind won the day.  And in 1899, French was given command of the first cavalry brigade at Aldershot, with the rank of Major-General.  This is the highest post open to a cavalry officer in his own sphere during the time of peace.  Thus French’s critics were finally routed, and he was free at last to train British cavalry according to his own brilliant and original ideas.

FOOTNOTES: 

[6] To General Bewicke Copley the writer is indebted for much kind assistance in writing this chapter.

[7] Quoted in M.A.P., March 3, 1900.

CHAPTER IV

ELANDSLAAGTE AND RIETFONTEIN

The Unknown Commander of Cavalry—­Who is General French?—­Advancing without Reinforcements—­“This is your Show, French”—­The White Flag—­The Chess-Player—­The Victor in Anecdote.

From the end of the South African War until the outbreak of the European War the British nation had never taken its army seriously.  At best it had shown very tepid interest in its work.  Some brief Indian skirmishing might momentarily flash the names of a few regiments or a stray general upon the public mind.  But for the most part we were content to take the army very much for granted, forgetful of Mr. Dooley’s sage pronouncement that “Standing armies are useful in time of war.”  Prior to the Boer War the public ignorance on the subject was even more appalling.

[Page Heading:  A NEW STAR]

At the opening of the South African campaign there was a good deal of vague discussion as to who should have the cavalry command in Natal.  But General French was not one of the officers prominently mentioned.  Yet, he had already risen to a position analogous to that which General von Bernhardi then occupied in the German army.  In any other European country his name would have been practically a household word.  Even to the English newspaper writer it was a paradox and a problem.

“Who is this General French?” people asked one another, when news of his first victories came to hand.  Scarcely anyone was able to answer the question.  One finds curious corroboration of the prevailing ignorance of French’s career in a society journal of that date.  In January of 1900, a then most popular social medium was almost pathetically confessing its perturbation on the point.  After giving a description of General French, the writer goes on rather in wrath than in apology—­“Since I wrote the above paragraph, I have found a letter in an Irish paper, which declares that the French of whom I have just spoken is not the hero of Colesberg.  The French of whom I have spoken is George Arthur (sic), while the Colesberg French is John Denton Pinkstone French.  Of John Denton Pinkstone French I have found no details in any of the ordinary books of reference.  Probably some correspondent will supply me with the details.”  There was a lapse or six weeks before any further information was forthcoming.